Issues in Pastoral Ministry: Five Articles

Just doing my job…while I still can.

“Use it or lose it.” –If that’s not a Scripture, it should be. (Which means it’s probably in there, but stated otherwise. Anyone?)

When a pastor with whom I’d just connected on Facebook thanked me “for your unique ministry,” I replied:

I’m only doing the same thing you are–using what God has given me to do what He has told me in the place where He has sent me. That’s what basic Christian ministry is all about, and it’s available to every child of God, whether we serve in the pulpit or from the pew. Keep reading

3 Steps To Interviewing Pastoral Candidates

Interviewing for the business world is different from interviewing for pastoral positions on your church staff.

While best practices can and should be learned from the corporate world for interviewing and hiring, it is vital that churches understand how to adapt these best practices for the nuances of ministry. Keep reading

Five Reasons Some Pastors Are Loners—And Why That’s Not Good

I admit it. I have a tendency to be a loner. I like my personal space and my private time. I recognize, though, that my tendencies aren’t always the best for a pastor. Here are my reflections on others like me.... Keep reading

5 Signs It’s Time To Hire An Executive Pastor

One of the searches we are asked to help with most often is the search for an Executive Pastor.

An Executive Pastor (often called an XP) takes on the day to day strategic leadership responsibilities of a church. They implement strategies to fulfill the leadership vision. They lead and manage the senior staff, helping them develop and achieve their ministry goals. If the Senior Pastor is responsible for setting vision, the XP is the one who figures out how to make that vision happen.

Sometimes we are asked to replace an outgoing Executive Pastor, but increasingly we are being asked to find a church’s first Executive Pastor. At some point, a growing church will need a capable “second chair” leader to help lead and manage the growing organization.

But how do you know if your church really needs or is ready for an Executive Pastor?

Quite often, a church will begin to feel the need for an XP when they have grown to be somewhere between 500-1000 in weekly attendance, so it would be tempting to assume that a church’s size is the most important factor in the decision to hire. But while size is definitely a factor, it’s not always the best indicator of the need for this role.

Here are the tried and true signposts that it’s time to hire an Executive Pastor. Keep reading

Also see
The 7 Essential Attributes of Exceptional Executive Pastors

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